Event type: Film

Based on the horror novella by writer Nikolai Gogol, Viy tells the story of Khoma Brut (Leonid Kuravlyov), a student at a monastery in Kiev.

While travelling home at the end of term with two fellow seminarians the group become lost. As night falls they take shelter at the house of an older woman but as Khoma begins to sleep, he is awoken by the woman who snatches him up to fly together through the night sky.

Realising he has been caught by a witch, Khoma struggles free and takes his revenge. As the witch takes her final breath, she transforms into a young woman (Natalya Varley) causing Khoma to panic and flee the scene. Back at the monastery, a delegation arrives demanding that Khoma must watch and pray over the corpse of the young woman for three nights. Arriving at the village, the student soon discovers that he must spend the nights locked in the church alone with the body of the very witch he’d left for dead.

Gogol was one of the first to use the technique of the grotesque in his writing. His early works are influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing, Ukrainian culture and Viy in particular brings together many disparate elements from folklore. Known for its masterful cinematic effects by Soviet animator and fantasy film director Aleksandr Ptushko, the film is “a must-see for every aficionado of folk-horror and dark fairytales.” – Anne Billson, Sight & Sound.

Doors: 18:30. Screening: 19:00

Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Golden Eye Prize, Stefano Savona’s 2018 documentary follows the Samouni family; a small community of farmers who are about to celebrate a wedding in the rural outskirts of Gaza City.

It’s going to be the first celebration since the last war. Amal, Fuad, their brothers and their cousins have lost their parents, their houses and their olive trees. The neighbourhood where they live is being rebuilt.

As they replant trees and plough fields, they face their most difficult task: piecing together their own memory. Through these young survivors’ recollections, Samouni Road conveys a deep, multifaceted portrait of a family before, during and after the tragic event that changed its life forever.

Doors: 15:30. Screening: 16:00.

When members of a dance troupe are lured to an empty school, drug-laced sangria causes their jubilant rehearsal to descend into a dark and explosive nightmare as they try to survive the night and find out who’s responsible – before it’s too late.

Loosely based on the true story of a French dance troupe in the 1990s, “Gaspar Noé’s cinematic dance party will blow your mind” – Gregory Ellwood, Collider.

The 2019 psychological horror directed, written and co-edited by Noé features unusual cinematography choices, including several long takes and one lasting over 42 minutes. The film’s dizzying and psychedelic visuals are energised by it’s on-the-spot improv from the cast, who who were provided no lines of dialogue beforehand and had almost complete liberty as to where to take the story and characters. Produced by A24, the film stars actress and dancer Sofia Boutella.

Doors: 18:30. Screening: 19:00

Desperate times call for desperate movies. In the midst of the Great Depression, manipulative emcee Rocky (Gig Young) enlists contestants for a dance marathon offering a $1,500 cash prize to the last couple standing.

Among them are a failed actress (Jane Fonda), a middle-aged sailor (Red Beuttons), a delusional blonde (Susannah York) and a pregnant girl (Bonnie Bedelia). Days turn into weeks as the competition drags on and people either drop out or expire. Rocky, however, will do anything for publicity and initiates a series of grueling derbies.

Based on a novel by Horace McCoy, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? reveals our collective fascination with human struggle put on display and the demoralizing illusion of Hollywood’s dream factory. Directed by Sydney Pollock, this psychological drama was applauded for its portrayal of the Depression area when it was released with Roger Ebert naming it as one of the best movies of the 1970s. 

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? “holds our attention because it tells us something we didn’t know about human nature and American society” – Roger Ebert. As of 2023, the film holds the record for obtaining the most Oscar nominations without receiving one for Best Picture.

Doors: 18:30. Screening: 19:00

Liverpool John Moores University invite you to the first public screening of “The Liverpool College of Art : Timelines.” A 45 minute documentary film produced by Michael Swerdlow.

The film charts the history of the College bringing together alumni, tutors and staff who reminisce their time in the Hope Street building going back to the 1940s and, in candid interviews, they compare teaching methods and college life. The film also shows students at work in the old art school building on Hope Street, prior to its closure in 2008.

The film will be screened at LJMU’s John Lennon of Art and Design Building. To register for the event, see here. Register by 28th November.

A journey through St Helens past 1982 – 1995.

A film written and produced by Roger Hill.

To book a free ticket, see here

The enchanting Irish animation SONG OF THE SEA tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse – the last Seal-child – who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea.

The film takes inspiration from the mythological Selkies of Irish folklore, who live as seals in the sea but become humans on land. SONG OF THE SEA, directed by Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells) features the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, David Rawle, Lisa Hannigan, Pat Shortt and Jon Kenny.

This is a FREE event but places must be booked.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Runtime: 93mins Certification: PG